Chapter 1

·        Introduction

o   Why should learning about American Government be important to you?

§  Think about what answers you would give, other people would give, or answers you think I would want to hear.

§  The reason I always forward is statistically based.

·        There is 1 President at any one time.

·        1 Vice President

·        15 Cabinet Members

·        9 Supreme Court Justices

·        100 Senators

·        435 Congresspeople (or, members of the House of Representatives)

·        = 562 total in charge of the United States government.

o   Given that the US population is about 300 million, that means that 0.000002% of the population is in charge of the whole country.

§  2004 – George W. Bush wins with ~51% of the popular vote.

·        But, only 54.1% of the eligible voters voted.

·        So really, only 27.6% of the population voted for Bush.

o   Or, 72.4% did NOT vote for Bush.

·        What is “Politics?”

o   “The activities by which conflict is managed over who will run the gov’t and what policies it will follow.”

§  Or, the struggle over power or influence.

·        What is “Government?”

o   The institution in which binding decisions are made on behalf of a society.

§  Or, the authoritative allocator of resources for a society.

§  This entity has the consent of the people (or, the authority) to distribute and use the people’s resources as is necessary.

·        Other Political Values in Gov’t

o   Order.

§  Or, Peace and Security

§  To protect the people.

o   Liberty.

§  Freedom for everyone.

o   Authority.

§  Power to enforce decisions.

o   Legitimacy.

§  Given authority.

o   Sovereignty

§  Having the authority to make political decisions.

·        Forms of Gov’t

o   Totalitarian Regime

§  “Gov’t” directly controls all aspects of life.

o   Authoritarianism

§  Ruler controls the gov’t, who in turn controls the people.

o   Aristocracy

§  Rule by elites.

o   Democracy

§  Rule by the people, directly or indirectly.

§  Political authority lies with the people.

·        Forms of Democracy

o   Direct Democracy

§  The people directly govern themselves.

·        E.g., Ancient Athens

·        E.g., town hall meetings in New England

·        The people gathered to decide important city/town issues.

§  Examples of processes of direct democracy.

·        Initiative

o   The people propose (with petition signatures) to the government for consideration.

·        Referendum

o   A yes/no vote by the people to decide a state political policy (instead of the government making the final vote)

·        Recall

o   The people essentially “fires” a public official for a poor job.

·        *none of the above exist on the national level for the US.

o   Representative Democracy

§  Also known as a “Republic”

§  Sovereign power rests with the people.

·        No monarchy or small group of individuals.

§  Political decisions are by the people indirectly, via elected representatives.

·        And the representatives are answerable to the people

§  “Liberal Democracy” – a democracy that guarantees basic freedoms for its people.

o   Forms of a representative democracy

§  Presidential system

·        Where the executive and legislature are selected separately.

§  Parliamentary system

·        Where the legislative branch (usually known as parliament) is selected, and then parliament selects the executive head (usually known as the prime minister).

·        Requirements for a Democracy

o   Universal Suffrage

§  The right of all adults to vote equally.

§  Minors are considered incapable of participating in the political process.

o   Majority Rule

§  Decision is made in favor of how most people decided.

·        Simple majority = 50% + 1 person

·        Super majority = something more than 50%+1

o   Minority Rights

§  Protecting minorities against the majority/majority tyranny.

o   Limited Government

§  Governments are limited in their power, and serve the people.

·        Perspectives (think of a 2x2 table)

o   Libertarianism – Individual Freedom

§  Limited government regulation of behavior.

§  Limited government in the economy.

§  Free market system.

·        “Laissez-faire” – French for “to let be”

§  Majority Rule.

·        Not so much emphasis on protecting minority rights.

o   Perspectives

o   Conservatism – Traditional framework

§  Emphasis on government regulating behavior.

·        “Uphold moral values”

·        Human nature is flawed.

§  Free market system

·        Laissez-faire

§  Strong government in national security.

o   Perspectives

o   Liberalism – Equality and minority rights.

§  Belief in government helping the individual

·        The “Robin Hood” view.

§  Protection of minority rights.

§  Heavy government involvement in business & economics.

·        Against complete reliance of free market.

§  Less regulation on “private” conduct.

o   Perspectives

o   Populists and “Others” – Individual power through gov’t.

§  Heavy government regulation in both the economic and morality realms.

Chapter 2

The Constitution

·        History in Brief

o   Colonization

§  Jamestown (UK trading post in Virginia) was set up as a representative assembly.

·        A legislature compose of individuals who represent the population.

§  Mayflower Compact (Plymouth, MA).

·        The Pilgrims (or at least, 41 of the men, no women) signed a statement agreeing to governmental authority when it was set up.

·        Two important concepts from the Compact:

o   Consent.

§  The people gave their consent to be ruled.

§  Government rule wasn’t forced upon them.

o   Rule of law.

§  The people agreed to be bound by a set of rules.

§  The rules weren’t forced upon them either.

o   Slowly, more colonies spring up, with their own pseudo-governments and rules of law.

§  Along with a sense of independence.

o   Leads to string of taxes, boycotts, retaliation, military skirmishes, tea parties in Boston, and outright war.

·        Independence

o   First and Second Continental Congress.

§  Governing for the collective benefit and security of the 13 Colonies.

o   April 6, 1776 – Free Trade.

§  States open up ports for trade with all foreign countries except the UK.

§  Sort of an economic declaration of independence.

o   July 2, 1776 – Resolution of Independence.

§  Non-binding – more of a suggestion to states to set up their own state governments free of British influence.

o   July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence.

§  Actual political separation from the UK.

§  Heavily influenced by John Locke.

§  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

o   John Locke and his “wacky” ideas (quick list):

§  Human Rationality

·        Humans are inherently good.

·        The prevailing theory at the time was that humans were inherently evil and could not be trusted.

§  Natural Rights

·        There are rights that no one can arbitrarily take away from a human, i.e. Life, Liberty, and Property.

§  Equality

·        All humans should be treated equally.

§  Limited Government

·        Government should serve the people, not the other way around.

§  Majority Rule

·        Decisions should be made how most people would want.

§  Minority Rights

·        But the majority should not be able to continually repress minority opinions.

§  Progress

·        Humans should be allowed to develop.

§  Right of Revolution

·        People have the right to overthrow an illegitimate government.

o   Social Contract

§  Idea that there is an intangible contract between the people and their government.

·        By agreeing to give the government authority, the government has a duty to protect and serve its people.

·        Violation of these terms nulls and voids the contract.

·        Without this “contract” the government no longer has the authority to rule the people.

§  The people not only have the right but the duty to remove the illegitimate government, by any and all means necessary.

·        First attempt to form a national government.

o   Origins

§  Post-1776, individual states adopted their own state constitutions.

·        Most had a bicameral legislature – TWO houses.

·        Adoption of natural rights.

o   Framing the Constitution

o   Articles of Confederation, 1781.

§  Alliance of free and independent states.

§  Powers of Confederation Congress.

·        Power to:

o   Declare war.

o   Conduct foreign relations.

o   Coin money.

o   Handle Indian affairs.

§  Inserted to get more states to agree to forming a national government.

o   Run the postal service.

·        No power to:

o   Tax the people.

§  Relied on voluntary state contributions.

·        No true national executive or judicial body.

·        States retained power to:

o   Print paper money.

o   Conduct trade among other states and with foreign countries.

o   Determine political issues.

§  One state = 1 vote.

§  2/3 states had to agree.

§  Amendments = had to be unanimous

§  Effects of Articles

·        Pros

o   Negotiated peace treaty with England.

·        Cons

o   Without taxes…

§  State $$$ never enough during war.

§  State $$$ virtually stopped after the war.

§  ® No $$$ to conduct war, e.g., no protection.

o   No centralized power.

§  Fragmented states.

§  States taxing each other’s goods.

o   Unanimous requirement.

§  One state (RI) kept blocking tariff legislation.

·        What to do to fix the national government?

o   Annapolis Convention.

§  Delegations from 5 states agreed that changes were needed.

§  5 states weren’t enough to make a change, but they agreed to propose the idea of amending the Articles for the better to the Confederation Congress.

o   Thus, there was a call to have a convention of all states, for the purposes of *amending* the Articles to fix the problems.

§  This convention was to be held in Philadelphia.

§  And, the situation was severe enough to bring George Washington out of retirement.

(to be continued in Lesson 2)

DISCUSSION QUESTION – What if US citizens were required to vote, and were punished if they did not vote without good reason. Would it be right for the government to impose this notion onto us?